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Monday, September 23, 2013

Medal of Honor…A Special Event

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Pennsylvania Civil
War Memorial

A few of the Truck Campers at the Jamboree gave us a heads up on a very special event for Friday evening at the Pennsylvania Civil War Memorial. It was to honor fifty Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. (Past, present and future) We needed tickets to enter the ceremony. We got two of the 1,800 tickets online and they were free! A good thing I had my printer because that was one of the requirements that a physical ticket had to be scanned at the gate.

Medal of Honor
Ceremony

We arrived at the National Park Visitor Center very early and had dinner in the camper. A line of school buses shuttled guest about a mile away to the Pennsylvania Civil War Monument. The area was protected with fencing and security. The monument was lit with special colored lighting.

Former "Secretary of Defense" Robert Gates
reading "The Gettysburg Address"

Marine playing a tribute
for fallen heroes!

The Presidential Marine Corps Band along with the West Point Glee Club and a US Army Field Artillery unit was present along with their 105 mm howitzers to sound off cannon fire before the start of the concert. The fifty “Medal of Honor” recipients arrived by special VIP buses and were given a special war

A night to remember!

m welcome from the audience. The Marine Corps League presented the colors followed by the concert. Former “Secretary Robert Gates” read President Lincoln’s “The Gettysburg Address”

The evening was weather perfect with a huge orange moon rising to the rear of the ceremony. I took many pictures of this (for me) life time event. The large “Jumbo Tron” monitors displayed many of the deceased recipients from past wars. At the conclusion of the concert was a barrage of fireworks that must have awakened the spirits of the many fallen soldiers on this hallowed battlefield. It was an evening that I will cherish for a long time.